System and Method for Mobile Presentation Processing

ABSTRACT

The invention comprises a system and method using a software application (“app”) running on portable computing devices to download presentations from a central server as thumbnails and manipulate the presentations in thumbnail format. The thumbnails can provide a storybook-type presentation that takes much less memory on a portable device than full native presentation format files. With the thumbnail file, the portable device user can move from slide to slide, reorder slides, delete slides, add slides from other thumbnail files, and add notes/text. After a new presentation is created using one or more thumbnail files, it may be uploaded to a central server where a server-side application recompiles the new presentation into a native format presentation from the thumbnail format. In this manner, presentations can be sourced from virtually anywhere and using nearly any computing device from which one can view thumbnail presentations. Other variations and enhancements are disclosed.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 14/132,152, filed Dec. 18, 2013, which in turn claimed priorityto U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/817,855, filed Apr. 30,2013. Each of these related applications is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to presentation documentprocessing, and more particularly, to a system and method providing forremote processing of presentation documents amenable for use on portablecomputing devices.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Preparation and processing of presentation documents (e.g., slideshows,“decks”, or “pitches” created with Microsoft® PowerPoint® or similarsoftware) can be extremely burdensome for enterprises, especially onesservicing large numbers of clients and pitching numerous potentialclients. Just by way of example, there may be many different versions ofa presentation for a financial institution to explain its products andservices to institutional investors. If a senior executive requests apresentation directed to a particular type of institutionalinvestor—college endowments, for example—the junior executive taskedwith the assignment may have to review many existing presentations inorder to pick and choose slides to go into the new presentation. This isparticularly a challenge if either executive is using a portable deviceor mobile device with memory and processing limitations. For example,Microsoft® PowerPoint® files can be many megabytes in size so thataccessing five, ten or twenty of such presentations using a tablet maynot be practical or even possible in some cases. Memory size can limitthe number of presentations that can be loaded. Processing and displayconstraints can make it difficult to switch or toggle between differentpresentations. In some cases, tablet or other portable devices may notprovide software adequate to access certain types of presentationformats. For example, there is currently no fully-functional MicrosoftOffice suite for Android® devices or Apple iOS® devices. While there arealternative apps that purport to allow access to Microsoft® PowerPoint®files (e.g., Apple's Keynote® application, Polaris® Office,QuickOffice®, Documents to Go®, etc.), they tend to have limited utilityand can be unreliable.

Senior executives have their own challenges with existing approaches tocreating new presentations. For many, their practice for initiating anew presentation is to print out their old pitches and add hand-writtennotes before handing them to the junior executive. This approach becomemore and more archaic as technology has advanced. Senior executivestravel with advanced mobile devices like tablets, but often do not havethe tools to put those devices to effective use when it comes tocreating or editing presentations. Furthermore, hard copies andhard-written notes are difficult to share among collaborators and evenmore difficult to organize or preserve for future projects.

What is needed is a system and method for an enterprise to allow mobileusers to access presentation files, edit presentation files, and/orcreate new or updated presentation files in an efficient and practicalmanner that is consistent with the constraints on portable computingdevices, system bandwidth considerations, configuration control, andsecurity considerations.

Other problems and drawbacks also exist.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally directed to a software application (sometimesreferred to herein as an “app”) that can run on portable computingdevices (e.g., an Apple iPad device, as well as other tablets, netbooks,smart phones, mobile devices, etc.) that allows presentations to bedownloaded from a central server as thumbnails that users can access andmanipulate to create updated presentations. Portable computing devicesmay be referred to hereinafter as “portable devices” and are understoodto encompass mobile devices. The app that executes on portable devicesaccording to the invention is sometimes referred to herein as “iPitch”client software or “iPitch App.” The thumbnails, generated from nativeformat presentation file(s), can provide a storybook-type presentationon a portable device that takes much less memory than full nativepresentation format files.

Although described particularly with regard to Microsoft® PowerPoint®(also referred to herein as “.ppt” or PPT files) presentationprocessing, the present invention may be adapted for other presentationapplication formats (e.g., Apple's Keynote®, Google Docs® Presentations,Brainshark®, Slideshark®, PreZentit®, Prezi®, Vuvox®, Adobe Flair®,SlideRocket®, SlideSnack®, etc.) could be used with the invention.Preferably, the thumbnails are in PDF format, wherein one slide may berepresented by one corresponding PDF file, although other file formats(e.g., GIF, JPEG, BMP, PNG, etc.) could be used in alternativeembodiments of the invention.

With the thumbnail file, the portable device user can move from slide toslide, reorder slides, delete slides, add slides from other thumbnailfiles, and add notes/text or even richer content such as post-its, audioclips, drawings, and other edits allowable within an Adobe PDF document.After the iPitch App creates a new presentation using one or morethumbnail files, the presentation may be uploaded to a central serverwhere a server-side application recompiles the new presentation into aPowerPoint® presentation from the thumbnail format. In this manner,presentations can be sourced from virtually anywhere and using nearlyany computing device from which one can view thumbnail presentations.

According to one aspect of the invention, should the user desire toemail a new presentation, the actual file is transmitted from thecentral server instead of directly from the user's portable device tothe destination. (The user device normally only has the thumbnailversion, not the compiled .ppt file, which resides on the server). Usingthe central server as an intermediary allows it to centrally manage andcontrol dissemination of presentation files. For example, a record canbe stored when a file is emailed. If a sign-off or other approval isrequired prior to dissemination, the central server can restrict sharinguntil the approval is secured. Header data can be inserted into thepresentation files reflecting any restrictions.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the presentation contentcan be edited on a portable device by allowing the mobile user to inputtext that is tied to location coordinates on the thumbnail slide sentback to the central server. In recompiling the .ppt file, the server mayinsert the text into the .ppt slide at the corresponding location. Theremay also be “variable fields” (e.g., a field listing the name of thecompany being pitched) that the user can complete using the thumbnailfile and the server can include in the recompiled file.

According to another aspect of the invention, system and methods of thepresent invention allow for movies and animations or other “smart parts”to be inserted into presentations when recompiling the thumbnail files.The central server may also be instructed to include dynamic or variablecontents, such as up-to-date stock charts concerning potential clientsand interactive mapping of assets, into recompiled presentations.

Security can be addressed in various ways according to certainembodiments of the invention. In some cases, compiled presentation filescan be transmitted outside an enterprise (e.g., to a third party) onlyas PDF files. The file headers may include “blocking codes” detected bythe enterprise's email service that prevent the file from being emailedoutside the enterprise, for example, unless certain business or securityrules are met. According to another aspect of the invention, securitymay employ so-called file-wrapping techniques such that unwrapping of apresentation file by a third party will cause an email to be sent to theenterprise. Such notice emails can then be compared to records to ensurethe person accessing the presentation file is an intended recipient.According to yet another aspect of the invention, file watermarks mayindicate intended recipients and/or timestamps, when a document wassent/received, etc.

Accordingly, it is one object of the present invention to overcome oneor more of the aforementioned and other limitations of existing systemsand methods for presentation document processing by providing a platformfor centralizing the creation and distribution of new pitches andfacilitating mobile processing of presentation files.

It is another object of the invention to provide systems and methods forpresentation document processing that allow portable device users toaccess multiple existing presentations in order to develop a newpresentation.

One technical effect of the invention is to provide systems and methodsfor presentation document processing that allow portable device users todevelop and/or new presentations without having to run a nativepresentation program such as Microsoft® PowerPoint®.

Another technical effect of the invention is to facilitate efficient andeffective collaboration among different users on the preparation,review, and revision of presentation files.

Yet another technical effect of the invention is the centralizedelectronic control, organization, and tracking of presentation files foran enterprise dealing with a large number of pitches to a large numberof clients.

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitutepart of this specification, illustrate several embodiments of theinvention and, together with the description, serve to explain theprinciples of the invention. It will become apparent from the drawingsand detailed description that other objects, advantages and benefits ofthe invention also exist.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be set forth inthe description that follows, and in part will be apparent from thedescription, or may be learned by practice of the invention. Theobjectives and other advantages of the invention will be realized andattained by the system and methods, particularly pointed out in thewritten description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The purpose and advantages of the present invention will be apparent tothose of skill in the art from the following detailed description inconjunction with the appended drawings in which like referencecharacters are used to indicate like elements.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system forprocessing presentation files according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system fordistributing presentation files according to one embodiment of theinvention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for processingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary iPitch serveraccording to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for recompilingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for distributingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 7-18 show exemplary screen shots of an iPitch app and itsoperations on a portable computing device according to one embodiment ofthe invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention is generally directed to a computer-implemented system andmethod, including related software, for mobile presentation processing.

According to one aspect of the invention, a software application (“app”)can run on portable computing devices (e.g., an Apple iPad, as well asother tablets, netbooks, smart phones, mobile devices, etc.) to allowpresentations to be downloaded from a central server as thumbnails, andusers can access and manipulate the downloaded thumbnail formatpresentations to create updated presentations. Portable computingdevices may be referred to hereinafter as “portable devices” and areunderstood to encompass mobile devices. The app that executes onportable devices according to the invention is sometimes referred toherein as “iPitch” app. According to one embodiment, an iPitch suite maybe provided, which includes an iPitch mobile application, as well as thecorresponding desktop component.

The thumbnails can provide a storybook-type presentation that takes muchless memory than full native presentation format files. With thethumbnail file, the portable device user can move from slide to slide,reorder slides, delete slides, add slides from other thumbnail files,and add notes/text. According to one embodiment of the invention,content can be added by allowing the user to input text that iscorrelated to location coordinates on the thumbnail slides sent back tothe central server. In recompiling the .ppt file, the server may insertthe text into the .ppt slide at the corresponding location. There mayalso be “variable fields” (e.g., a field listing the name of the companybeing pitched) that the user can complete using the thumbnail file andthe server can include in the recompiled file.

Embodiments of the present invention may provide a platform forcentralizing the creation and distribution of new presentations(“pitches”) and allow user collaboration in the iPitch platform,reducing reworking effort and maximizing knowledge share and reuse.After iPitch creates a new presentation using one or more thumbnailfiles, the presentation may be uploaded to a central server where aserver-side application recompiles the new presentation into aPowerPoint® presentation from the thumbnail format. According toembodiments of the invention, various content types, such as movies andanimations, may be inserted into presentations during recompilation atthe server. In this manner, presentations can be sourced from virtuallyanywhere and using nearly any computing device from which one can viewthumbnail presentations.

According to one aspect of the invention, the central server may notonly organize and manage the presentation files but also distribute newpitches to clients based on user instructions and on behalf of theusers. The pitches may appear to originate from the users directly eventhough the user device normally only has the thumbnail version, not thecompiled .ppt file stored at the server. The central server, as anintermediary, can therefore manage and control dissemination ofpresentation files, for example, by maintaining a record of when a fileis emailed, ensuring the appropriate sign-off or other approval occursprior to dissemination, and restricting sharing until the approval issecured.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system 100 forprocessing presentation files according to one embodiment of theinvention. The system 100 may comprise a central server 102 (referred toherein as “iPitch Server”) and one or more portable computing devices104. According to embodiments of the present invention, authorized usersof the portable computing devices 104 may preferably also have access toworkstation(s) 106 such as full-functioned desktop or laptop computers.

As shown, the system 100 (and related software) is implemented based oncomputing equipment. Generally, it should be noted that the componentsdepicted and described herein may be, or include, a computer or multiplecomputers. Although the components are sometimes shown as discreteunits, they may be interconnected or combined. The components may bedescribed in the general context of computer-executable instructions,such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally,program modules include routines, programs, objects, applications,components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks orimplement particular abstract data types. For example, a server maycomprise a single server or a group of servers used to service users.Additionally, a server may comprise a front-end web server and aback-end database server. Alternatively, those functions can beintegrated into a single server device.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the invention may bepracticed with various computer system configurations, includinghand-held wireless devices such as mobile phones, tablets or PDAs,multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumerelectronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like. Theinvention may also be practiced in distributed computing environmentswhere tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linkedthrough a communications network. In a distributed computingenvironment, program modules may be located in both local and remotecomputer storage media including memory storage devices.

Computing devices (e.g., mobile devices, lap-tops, desk-tops, etc.)typically include a variety of computer readable media that can formpart of the system memory and be read by the processing unit. By way ofexample, and not limitation, computer readable media may comprisecomputer storage media and communication media. The system memory mayinclude computer storage media in the form of volatile and/ornonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) and random accessmemory (RAM). A basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basicroutines that help to transfer information between elements, such asduring start-up, is typically stored in ROM. RAM typically contains dataand/or program modules that are immediately accessible to and/orpresently being operated on by a processing unit. The data or programmodules may include an operating system, application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. The operating system may be orinclude a variety of operating systems such as the Macintosh® OS orApple iOS operating systems, Google Android operating system (andvariations thereof), Microsoft Windows® operating system (desktop and/ormobile version), the Unix operating system, the Linux operating system,the Xenix operating system, the IBM AIX™ operating system, the HewlettPackard UX™ operating system, the Novell Netware™ operating system, theSun Microsystems Solaris™ operating system, the OS/2™ operating system,the BeOS™ operating system, the Apache™ operating system, an OpenStep™operating system or another operating system or platform.

User applications may be so-called stand-alone applications executing onuser devices or they may be client-server type applications thatinterface with server-side components. They may include applicationsprovided by the server, such as Java Applets, that may be delivered withweb pages.

The memory will include at least one set of instructions that is eitherpermanently or temporarily stored. The processor executes theinstructions that are stored in order to process data. The set ofinstructions may include various instructions that perform a particulartask or tasks, such as those shown in the appended flowchart. Such a setof instructions for performing a particular task may be characterized asa program, software program, software, engine, module, component,mechanism, or tool. The computer may include a plurality of softwareprocessing modules stored in a memory as described herein and executedon a processor in the manner described herein. The program modules maybe in the form of any suitable programming language, which is convertedto machine language or object code to allow the processor or processorsto read the instructions. That is, written lines of programming code orsource code, in a particular programming language, may be converted tomachine language using a compiler, assembler, or interpreter. Themachine language may be binary coded machine instructions specific to aparticular computer.

Any suitable programming language may be used in accordance with thevarious embodiments of the invention. Illustratively, the programminglanguage used may include assembly language, Ada, APL, Basic, C, C++,COBOL, dBase, Forth, FORTRAN, Java, Modula-2, Pascal, Prolog, REXX,and/or JavaScript, for example. Further, it is not necessary that asingle type of instruction or programming language be utilized inconjunction with the operation of the system and method of theinvention. Rather, any number of different programming languages may beutilized as is necessary or desirable.

In addition, the instructions and/or data used in the practice of theinvention may utilize any compression or encryption technique oralgorithm, as may be desired. An encryption module might be used toencrypt data. Further, files or other data may be decrypted using asuitable decryption module.

The computing environment may also include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media.For example, a hard disk drive may read or write to non-removable,nonvolatile magnetic media. A magnetic disk drive may read from or writeto a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk, and an optical disk drive mayread from or write to a removable, nonvolatile optical disk such as a CDROM or other optical media. Other removable/non-removable,volatile/nonvolatile computer storage media that can be used in theexemplary operating environment include, but are not limited to,magnetic tape cassettes, flash memory cards, digital versatile disks,digital video tape, solid state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. Thestorage media is typically connected to the system bus through aremovable or non-removable memory interface.

The processing unit that executes commands and instructions may be ageneral purpose computer, but may utilize any of a wide variety of othertechnologies including a special purpose computer, a microcomputer,mini-computer, mainframe computer, processor, CPU (Central ProcessingUnit), programmed micro-processor, micro-controller, peripheralintegrated circuit element, a CSIC (Visitor Specific IntegratedCircuit), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), a logiccircuit, a digital signal processor, a programmable logic device such asan FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), PLD (Programmable LogicDevice), PLA (Programmable Logic Array), RFID processor, smart chip, orany other device or arrangement of devices that is capable ofimplementing the steps of the processes of the invention.

It is appreciated that in order to practice the invention as describedherein, it is not necessary that the processors and/or the memories ofthe processing machine be physically located in the same geographicalplace. That is, each of the processors and the memories used by theprocessing machine may be located in geographically distinct locationsand connected so as to communicate in any suitable manner. Additionally,it is appreciated that each of the processor and/or the memory may becomposed of different physical pieces of equipment. Accordingly, it isnot necessary that the processor be one single piece of equipment in onelocation and that the memory be another single piece of equipment inanother location. That is, it is contemplated that the processor may betwo pieces of equipment in two different physical locations. The twodistinct pieces of equipment may be connected in any suitable manner.Additionally, the memory may include two or more portions of memory intwo or more physical locations.

To explain further, processing as described herein is performed byvarious components and various memories. However, it is appreciated thatthe processing performed by two distinct components as described hereinmay, in accordance with a further embodiment of the invention, beperformed by a single component. Further, the processing performed byone distinct component as described herein may be performed by twodistinct components. In a similar manner, the memory storage performedby two distinct memory portions as described herein may, in accordancewith a further embodiment of the invention, be performed by a singlememory portion. Further, the memory storage performed by one distinctmemory portion as described herein may be performed by two memoryportions, for example.

A user may enter commands and information into the computer through auser interface that includes input devices such as a keyboard andpointing device, commonly referred to as a mouse, trackball or touchpad. Other input devices may include a microphone, joystick, game pad,satellite dish, scanner, voice recognition device, keyboard, touchscreen, toggle switch, pushbutton, or the like. Input devices includethose that recognize hand movements or gestures, such as in the case ofgesture set supported by Android or the swipe movements recognized iniOS-based devices. These and other input devices are often connected tothe processing unit through a user input interface that is coupled tothe system bus, but may be connected by other interface and busstructures, such as a parallel port, game port or a universal serial bus(USB).

A user interface may include any hardware, software, or combination ofhardware and software used by the processing machine that allows a userto interact with the processing machine. A user interface may be in theform of a dialogue screen for example. A user interface may also includeany of a mouse, touch screen, keyboard, voice reader, voice recognizer,dialogue screen, menu box, list, checkbox, toggle switch, a pushbuttonor other device that allows a user to receive information regarding theoperation of the processing machine as it processes a set ofinstructions and/or provide the processing machine with information.Accordingly, the user interface is any device that providescommunication between a user and a processing machine. The informationprovided by the user to the processing machine through the userinterface may be in the form of a command, a selection of data, or someother input, for example.

As discussed herein, a user interface is utilized by the processingmachine that performs a set of instructions such that the processingmachine processes data for a user. The user interface is typically usedby the processing machine for interacting with a user either to conveyinformation or receive information from the user. However, it should beappreciated that in accordance with some embodiments of the invention,it is not necessary that a human user actually interact with a userinterface used by the processing machine of the invention. Rather, it isalso contemplated that the user interface of the invention mightinteract, i.e., convey and receive information, with another processingmachine, rather than a human user. Further, it is contemplated that auser interface utilized in the invention may interact partially withanother processing machine or processing machines, while alsointeracting partially with a human user.

One or more monitors or display devices may also be connected to thesystem bus via an interface. In addition to display devices, computersmay also include other peripheral output devices, which may be connectedthrough an output peripheral interface. The computers implementing theinvention may operate in a networked environment using logicalconnections to one or more remote computers, the remote computerstypically including many or all of the elements described herein.

Various networks may be implemented in accordance with embodiments ofthe invention, including a wired or wireless local area network (LAN)and a wide area network (WAN), the Internet, wireless personal areanetwork (PAN) and other types of networks. When used in a LAN networkingenvironment, computers may be connected to the LAN through a networkinterface or adapter. When used in a WAN networking environment,computers typically include a modem or other communication mechanism.Modems may be internal or external, and may be connected to the systembus via the user-input interface, or other appropriate mechanism.

Computers may be connected over the Internet, an Intranet, Extranet,Ethernet, or any other system that provides communications. Somesuitable communications protocols may include TCP/IP, UDP, or OSI, forexample. For wireless communications, communications protocols mayinclude Bluetooth, Zigbee, IrDa, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, Ultra-Wideband and LongTerm Evolution (LTE) or other suitable protocols. The wirelesscommunications protocol may also include short-range communicationsdevices and protocols, such as RFID, or Near-Field Communication radiotransmissions. Furthermore, components of the system may communicatethrough a combination of wired or wireless paths.

Although many other internal components of the computer are not shown,those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that such componentsand the interconnections are well known. Accordingly, additional detailsconcerning the internal construction of the computer need not bedisclosed in connection with the present invention.

Specifically, the iPitch Server 102 may include at least one servercomputer typically configured as part of an enterprise network andconnected to the Internet through a firewall. An exemplary hardware andsoftware architecture of the iPitch Server 102 is described in moredetail below in connection with FIG. 4.

The portable computing devices 104 may include mobile personalcomputers, such as tablets (e.g., Apple iPad or iPad Mini, SamsungGalaxy tablet, Google Nexus tablet, Amazon Kindle and Kindle Fire etc.),PDAs (personal digital assistants), smart phones (e.g., the AppleiPhones, Samsung Galaxy S series or Note series smart phones, etc.),netbooks, and other forms of portable computer devices. The portablecomputing devices 104 typically have less powerful processors andlimited storage capabilities as compared to full-functioned personalcomputers. The portable computing devices 104 are preferably capable ofnetwork communications based on Wi-Fi or cellular network connections,so that they may exchange data with the iPitch Server 102 and/or othernetworked devices.

In contrast, the user stations 106 are typically full-functionedpersonal computing devices with significant computing power and amplestorage space as well as networking and security capabilities.

According to embodiments of the present invention, the system 100 mayemploy a suite of software programs (referred to as “iPitch suite”) forprocessing of presentation files. The iPitch suite may include: (a) theiPitch host programs running on the iPitch Server 102; (b) an iPitch Appinstalled to run on each of the portable computing devices 104; and (c)a desktop application or desktop bot running on each user workstation106.

In operation, the iPitch Server 102 may be mainly responsible forstoring presentation files (mostly in native format(s) such as MicrosoftPowerPoint), slides, slide templates, and so-called “smart parts” (e.g.,multimedia content and dynamic content) that could be made part of apresentation file based on user instructions. The iPitch Server 102 isalso responsible for generating slide thumbnails from the native formatpresentation files. For instance, upon a mobile user's request for aparticular presentation file, the iPitch Server 102 may operate theserver-side software to convert or translate the presentation file fromits native format (e.g., .ppt) into thumbnail (e.g., .pdf) files. Thegenerated thumbnails may be downloaded to the portable computing devices104, for example, in a zipped or other compressed format. Conversely,the iPitch Server 102 may execute software for receiving thumbnail-basedfiles that can be recompiled or converted back into native format files(e.g., a new PPT file).

The desktop application or desktop bot may allow a user to select afolder in his/her workstation 106 to add all pitches he/she wants tohave available in the iPitch App. The desktop bot may also be configuredto automatically upload pitches to the iPitch Server 102. Also, the usermay be able to send via email old pitches for use as a basis forcreating new ones. For iOS based portable computing devices 104, thedesktop application may or may not employ Apple iTunes software tosynchronize content of the desktop pitch folder with that of the iPitchApp on the portable computing devices 104.

The iPitch App may provide a user-friendly interface, allowing the userto scroll and zoom in and out within pitches, while being in a contextof state-of-the-art mobile components that will make a rich userexperience. The mobile user may use the iPitch App to display, browser,search, edit, and/or annotate the thumbnail format presentation files(and/or individual slides) and may upload them back to the iPitch Server102. For example, the iPitch App may facilitate browsing of pre-existingpitches or slides as well as creation of new pitches based on theexisting ones. The iPitch App may also allow a user (e.g., seniorexecutive) to add comments and instructions to a newly created pitch, sothat once they send this content to other users (e.g., juniorexecutives), they know how to edit the pitch accordingly.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary system 200 fordistributing presentation files according to one embodiment of theinvention. This computer-implemented system 200 may comprise an iPitchServer 202 and portable computing device(s) 204 in communication over anetwork with the iPitch Server 202. The iPitch Server 202 and theportable computing device(s) 204 may be similar to correspondingcomponents of the system 100 described in connection with FIG. 1, as arethe related software programs.

In operation, a user of a portable computing device 204 may cause theiPitch App thereon to issue a request to the iPitch Server 202 to sharea draft pitch with a designated recipient 206. The pitch may be onealready uploaded to the iPitch Server 202 or could be uploaded (inthumbnail format) concurrently with the request. The designatedrecipient 206 may be a colleague or collaborator of the user or a clientoutside the user's organization. Upon receiving the request, the iPitchServer 202 may generate a native format full presentation file from thedraft pitch, for example, by assembling selected slides and insertingadditional contents. Then, based on who the intended recipient is, thepresentation file may be transmitted from the iPitch Server 202 in anappropriate format and via an appropriate channel. For example, for aninternal recipient (e.g., a colleague working on the same pitch), thepresentation file may be shared in its native format via iRetrievedocument management system with no access restrictions. For an externalrecipient (e.g., a potential new client), the presentation file may beemailed as an attachment in PDF or other secure format with some accessrestrictions. However, the email transmission may be so configured thatthe message with attachment appears to come directly from the userrequesting the transmission even though the user's device only has thethumbnail version.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for processingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

The exemplary method may start in Step 302 where presentation files arestored in native format on a central server (and/or relateddatabase(s)). The central server may be the iPitch Server describedabove or a similar central depository with document managementfunctions. The presentations files may include old pitches, new draftpitches, and new finalized pitches. They may be organized andcategorized much like in a typical document management system. Thecentral server may also store and/or have access to individual slides,slide templates, model presentations, and slide/presentation componentsincluding so-called “smart parts.” The presentation files and slidesetc. may be stored in their native format such as Microsoft® PowerPoint®format. Components of presentation files or slides may be in theirnative format as well. For example, multimedia components may be inaudio mp3 or video mp4 formats and animations may be in Flash Video(FLV) format.

Optionally, in Step 301, the presentation filed may be synchronized withdesignated folders on user workstations. For example, each authorizeduser may have a pitch folder on its workstation. Presentations in thatdesignated folder may also be those the user would need on his/herportable computing device. Either the workstation or the central servermay initiate a synchronization procedure between the local pitch folderand corresponding presentation files on the server. As a result, thepresentation files on the server may be updated with a revised localcopy; and conversely the locally stored presentation files may becomeupdated with a revised server copy.

In Step 304, the central server may convert one or more presentationfiles into thumbnail format or other image format. The conversion may bedone in batch before any request for the presentation file(s), or theconversion may be performed on demand, for example, upon receiving arequest from a mobile device for a particular file. According to apreferred embodiment, the converted thumbnail files are in PDF format.According to alternative embodiments, file formats other than PDF, suchas PNG, JPG, GIF, BMP etc. may also be suitable. It is also contemplatedthat the converted slide images need not be strictly “thumbnail” sizedbut may be of sufficient size and resolution for storage and display onportable devices with limited processing power and/or memory space. Theconversion of slides or presentations from a native format to thumbnailformat may also be an adaptive process based on the underlying content.For instance, if a slide includes exclusively or mainly text characters,then the converted thumbnail or image may be of a relatively lowresolution with black-and-white color scheme. Similarly, a slide withcharts or graphs may be converted to an image of intermediate resolutionwith moderate color richness, whereas a slide with photographs might beconverted to a higher-resolution and color-rich image. The conversionmay preserve the logical sequence of slides within the native formatpresentation file and may further include the existing comments or notesassociated with each slide. According to one embodiment, the resultingfiles (e.g., .pdf files) may be named based on the original slidenumbers, and the comments/notes may be included in PDF or image metadataor in a standalone metadata file referencing these files.

In Step 306, the converted thumbnail format file(s) may be downloaded toa user's portable computing device (e.g., an iPad device). According toone embodiment, the download may be carried out as part of routinesynchronization of the portable device with a designated user pitchfolder on the central server. According to another embodiment, thedownload may be performed on demand when the user requests a specificpresentation file via the iPitch App on the portable device. For ease oftransmission and organization, the thumbnails or other images may befurther compressed into a zipped folder or file package. For security,the downloads may be encrypted and password-protected.

In Step 308, the user may display and browse the downloaded thumbnailformat presentation files on the portable device and create or edit thepresentations in thumbnail format. The downloaded thumbnails may beorganized on the portable device according to slide decks and intendedtargets etc. The iPitch App on the portable device may allow thepresentations to be selected and expanded into individual slides. TheiPitch App may also allow the slides to be added, deleted, edited,annotated, duplicated, re-ordered, and saved. Thus, based on thedownloaded thumbnail format presentation files or slides, the user couldcreate a completely new pitch or edit an existing pitch. A new orupdated presentation file may include user-inputted text which iscorrelated to individual slide images based on coordinates indicatingintended text edit locations. The new or updated presentation file mayalso include user instructions for inserting or editing other content inthe slides such as instructions to add, delete or modify non-text-boxcomponents of a presentation.

Then, in Step 310, the new or modified pitch(es) in thumbnail or imageformat may be uploaded to the central server from the portable computingdevice. The thumbnails may be preferably organized in a file packagethat may be compressed and optionally encrypted. The file package mayinclude not only the thumbnail slide images but also associated notes,comments, edits, and/or instructions. The upload may be part of aroutine content synchronization in a batch operation or performed ondemand with respect to a specific pitch.

In Step 312, the uploaded new or modified presentation file may beprocessed by the central serve and recompiled from the thumbnail orimage format into a native format. The recompilation or conversion maybe based on the thumbnail slide images as well as the aforementionednotes, comments, edits, and/or instructions. For example, text edits maybe incorporated into new or revised text boxes at the indicatedcoordinates within the corresponding slides. Notes and comments may beinserted to the corresponding notes or comments fields in the nativeformat presentation file. Additional content, such as multimedia contentor linked objects, may also be embedded according to user instructions.Accordingly, the package of thumbnails or slide images are recompiledinto a consolidated, full-function presentation file (or slide deck) ina native format such as PowerPoint®.

In Step 314, the recompiled native format presentation file may bestored on the central server (or its database) and organized along withother presentation files. The recompiled native format presentation filemay also be used to update local copies during synchronization with userworkstations in Step 301.

In Step 316, one or more selected presentation files may be distributedto recipients based on user instructions and security rules. A user maysend requests or instructions for the central server to forward aparticular presentation file to a recipient. The central server mayrespond to the requests or instructions, for example, in a processoutlined below in connection with FIG. 6.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary iPitch Server 400according to one embodiment of the invention. In terms of hardwarecomponents, the iPitch Server 400 may comprise at least one processor402, storage medium 404, and communication interface 406. In terms ofsoftware modules or functions as related to the iPitch suite, the iPitchserver-side software may include exemplary functional modules such asPresentation File Synchronization 40 (for uploading and downloadingpresentation files in various formats between the iPitch server andportable computing devices as well as user workstations), PresentationFile Organization 41 (for managing the storage and access ofpresentation files on the iPitch server), Presentation File Conversion42 (for converting presentation files from a native format to athumbnail or image format), Thumbnail Recompilation 43 (for convertingpresentation files from a thumbnail or image format to a native format),Presentation File Dissemination 44 (for controlling the distributions ofpresentation files and keeping a log of the distributions), andPresentation File Security 45 (for imposing security measures on thepresentation files to restrict/control access).

FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for recompilingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

The exemplary process may start in Step 502 when an upload of apresentation file in thumbnail format is received at a central server.The process may also be initiated to batch recompile a set of previouslyuploaded thumbnail format presentation files. As mentioned above, eachuploaded thumbnail format presentation file may include not onlythumbnail slide images but also additional user input information suchas associated notes, comments, edits, and/or instructions. Furthermore,the user inputs may include links to additional content to beincorporated into the edited slides, or the additional content may beuploaded to the server as well.

In Step 504, the number of slides may be determined for a presentationfile and, if any of the thumbnail slide images have corresponding,preexisting native format slides stored on the server, those nativeformat slides may also be identified.

In Step 506, it may be determined whether the thumbnail formatpresentation file includes or is associated with user inputs (e.g.,notes, comments, edits, and/or instructions). If not, then the nativeformat presentation file can be generated in Step 508 solely based onthe sequence of thumbnails and by assembling their corresponding,preexisting slides in native format. That is, if they are notaccompanied by any user input, the set of thumbnail slide images in thepresentation file can be simply converted back to the original nativeformat slides and then arranged in the same order as the thumbnails.

If it is determined in Step 506 that user inputs are present, then theprocess branches to Step 510 to determine whether the user inputscomprise user comments on particular slides. If so, then in Step 512 theuser comments are collected for the notes field of the correspondingslides.

Otherwise or after Step 512, it is determined in Step 514 whether theuser inputs comprise text edits. If so, then in Step 516 the desiredlocation(s) in the corresponding slides are determined for textinsertion.

Otherwise or after Step 516, it is determined in Step 518 whether theuser inputs comprise user instruction to embed other content into thepresentation. If so, then in Step 520 the additional content may beretrieved, linked, or otherwise located, and the display parameters maybe determined for such content such as the display area of a video clipor chart/graph within a slide layout.

Otherwise or after Step 520, the process may continue on to Step 508where the native format presentation file may be generated further basedon these various user inputs such that the resulting presentationincludes not only the base slides but also the additional contributionby the user such as the user comments, revised text fields, andadditional content properly formatted and arranged. It should be notedthat FIG. 5 only show some exemplary types of user inputs and is notintended as a limitation on the input types or how (or in what order)they are processed by the central server in the recompilation procedure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method for distributingpresentation files according to one embodiment of the invention.

In Step 602, user instructions may be received at a central server todistribute a particular presentation file to one or more recipients.

In Step 604, it may be determined whether the presentation filerequested has been approved or “signed off” by authorized personneland/or whether the intended recipient(s) have been cleared to receivethe file. According to one embodiment of the present invention, certainsecurity measures may be implemented on the presentation files stored onthe central server to prevent unauthorized dissemination or access ofthe pitches many of which contain non-public, sensitive information.According to one approach, blocking code may be inserted into a headerfield of each presentation file upon its creation where the blockingcode may specify or signal restrictions placed on the file and preventit from being circulated beyond the organization's private network orother designated recipient group without meeting certain conditions. Forexample, all outgoing email attachments (or presentation files about tobe attached to an email message) may be subject to a scan of theirheader fields which will catch any presentation file that still has theblocking code embedded.

Thus, if a draft pitch has not been approved or its recipient has notbeen cleared, then the process branches to Step 606 to await approvaland/or clearance. If the draft pitch has already been approved and therecipient cleared, then in Step 608 the blocking code (or any othersecurity restrictions) may be removed from the presentation file,clearing it to be attached to an outgoing email message or be convertedto other format (e.g., PDF) suitable for distribution.

Apart from removing the pre-existing security restriction, new securitymeasures may be added to the distribution copy of the presentation file.For example, the outgoing copy could be flattened, encrypted,password-protected, and/or imposed with a view/print-only restriction.According to one example, a file wrapper may be added to the outgoingcopy of the presentation file which would cause a notice to be sent backto the server or sender when the file wrapper is first opened. Accordingto another example, the presentation file could be embedded withwatermarks containing such information as time-and-date stamp, versiondata, intended recipient, confidentiality warning, and so on.

In Step 610, an email message may be generated and a copy of thepresentation file in selected format may be attached to the message.Alternatively, a link to the presentation file may be included in theemail message which allows the recipient to download the file from thesame or a different server location. Although it is generated on andtransmitted directly from the central server, the email message may beformatted to appear originated from the user requesting the distributionsuch that a reply or receipt may be directed to that user's emailaddress.

Then, in Step 612, the email message with the attachment (or a linkthereto) may be transmitted to the designated recipient(s). Uponsuccessful transmission, the server may log the event for futurereference such that all distributions of the presentation files could betracked. If the email message fails to transmit or is bounced back, forexample, the error may also be logged. In addition, in Step 614, anyacknowledgement and/or feedback from the recipient(s) may be received bythe server and recorded.

FIGS. 7-18 show exemplary screen shots of an iPitch app and itsoperations on a portable computing device according to one embodiment ofthe invention. Although these exemplary screen shots all show an AppleiPad device, it should be noted that the portable computing devices onwhich the iPitch App is installed and operated are not limited to AppleiOS tablets and could include any other tablet computers and smartphones.

FIG. 7 shows an exemplary login screen for the exemplary iPitch iPad Appwhich requires the input of User ID and Password. It should be notedthat other user authentication methods such as the use of biometrics(e.g., fingerprint scanning or voice signatures) could also be employed.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary screen where the iPad user could browsepitches and has the options of creating new pitches, sharing or viewingor editing existing pitches, and reviewing information related to draftpitches (e.g., with whom a pitch has been shared and when). Using theiPad touch screen interface, the user could select from a number ofbuttons and arrows for the various options.

FIG. 9 shows another exemplary screen where the iPad user could browsepitches that are listed in alphabetical order. The screen may alsoprovide a thumbnail preview of the selected pitches.

FIG. 10 shows yet another exemplary screen where the iPad user couldbrowse pitches that have been organized by folders.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary screen where the iPad user could browseslides. As a particular slide is selected from a list of slidespresented on the left side of the screen, the corresponding slide imagemay be displayed. In addition, a press of the “Create New” button mayallow the user to select some or all of the slides for creation of a newpresentation, thereby facilitating an efficient reuse of existingslides.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary screen for naming a new pitch to be created.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary screen for creating a new pitch where slidetemplates (for “Enterprise Industries”) are displayed and could beselected for inclusion into the new pitch. Also shown are slidescurrently included into the new pitch and various options for editingand sending the new pitch or slides.

FIG. 14 shows another exemplary screen for creating a new pitch. In thisscreen, the user could browse various types of presentation templates(e.g., “Financial” or “Organizational”) and slide templates (thumbnails)within those presentation templates. For example, a vertical fingerswipe on the iPad touch screen scrolls it through different presentationtemplates each including a collection of thumbnail slides; a horizontalfinger swipe within each collection will scroll through the thumbnailslides. Any thumbnail slide could be tapped and dragged into a draftpitch and also could be ordered and edited.

FIG. 15 shows yet another exemplary screen for creating a new pitchwhere one of the sample slides is dragged into the slide sequence in the“My new pitch” presentation shown at the bottom of the screen.

FIG. 16 shows an exemplary screen for entering comments or instructionsregarding a particular slide.

FIG. 17 shows an exemplary screen for entering instructions to create atext box for a blank slide. The text box could be automatically sizedand centered based on user input.

FIG. 18 shows an exemplary screen for creating a new text box 1601 for aparticular slide. The user may tap on a desired spot on the slidethumbnail (shown here in a zoomed-in view) and the pixel coordinate ofthat spot may be recorded as the top left corner of the new text box. Anon-screen keyboard and a pop-up box 1602 may then allow the user to typethe text to appear in the text box. The size of the text box could bedynamically adjusted based on the number of characters to fill that box.Alternatively, the user may use a finger to drag out a rectangular box1601 on the slide to define both the location and size of the text box.Many other ways could be used to indicate or determine the location andsize of a textbox or other presentation objects.

Other embodiments and uses of this invention will be apparent to thosehaving ordinary skill in the art upon consideration of the specificationand practice of the invention disclosed herein. The specification andexamples given should be considered exemplary only, and it iscontemplated that the appended claims will cover any other suchembodiments or modifications as fall within the true scope of theinvention. The various embodiments and features of the presentlydisclosed invention may be used in any combination, as the combinationof these embodiments and features are well within the scope of theinvention. While the foregoing description includes many details andspecificities, it is to be understood that these have been included forpurposes of explanation only, and are not to be interpreted aslimitations of the present invention. It will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art that other modifications to the embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention. Accordingly, such modifications are considered within thescope of the invention as intended to be encompassed by the followingclaims and their legal equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for processingpresentation materials on a portable computing device, the methodcomprising: communicating with a server storing a plurality ofpresentation files in a native format; requesting, from the server, atleast one of the plurality of presentation files; downloading at leastone thumbnail format file converted from the requested at least one ofthe plurality of presentation files; storing said received thumbnailformat file on the portable computing device; displaying and modifying,on the portable computing device, said received thumbnail format file asa thumbnail format file; and uploading, to the server, a modifiedversion of said received thumbnail format file or a new thumbnail formatfile.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the nativeformat is Microsoft® PowerPoint® format.
 3. The computer-implementedmethod of claim 1, wherein the thumbnail format file is a PDF file. 4.The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:executing a mobile application on said portable computing device toenable a user to access the plurality of native format presentationfiles stored on the server.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim4, further comprising: enabling the user to select a plurality of nativeformat presentation files to be downloaded to the portable computingdevice.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, furthercomprising: receiving, from a user, an instruction to share one or moreof the plurality of presentation files stored on the server; and causingthe server to transmit an email message including the one or morepresentation file to a recipient as if the email message originates fromthe user.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, furthercomprising: causing the server to recompile the uploaded thumbnailformat file into a native format presentation file.
 8. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising: including atleast one instruction with the uploaded thumbnail format file to causeadditional content to be embedded in the recompiled native formatpresentation file.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8,wherein the additional content is selected from a group consisting of:an audio clip; a video clip; an image; an animation sequence; a graph orchart; and a link.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 8,wherein at least a portion of the additional content is of a dynamictype.
 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein one ormore edits in the uploaded thumbnail format file are indicated bycoordinates that identify an intended placement of the one or more editsin the recompiled native format presentation file.
 12. Thecomputer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein the uploaded thumbnailformat file includes or is accompanied by one or more variable fieldswhose values are used to populate the recompiled native formatpresentation file.
 13. A computer-implemented apparatus for processingpresentation materials, the apparatus comprising: a portable computingdevice having at least one computer processor, at least one storagemedium, a communication interface, and a user interface; the at leastone computer processor being configured to perform the following:communicating, via said communication interface, with a server storing aplurality of presentation files in a native format; requesting, from theserver, at least one of the plurality of presentation files;downloading, from the server, at least one thumbnail format fileconverted from the requested at least one of the plurality ofpresentation files; storing said received thumbnail format file on saidat least one storage medium; displaying and modifying, through said userinterface, said received thumbnail format file as a thumbnail formatfile; and uploading, to the server, a modified version of said receivedthumbnail format file or a new thumbnail format file.
 14. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 13, wherein the native format isMicrosoft® PowerPoint® format.
 15. The computer-implemented apparatus ofclaim 13, wherein the thumbnail format file is a PDF file.
 16. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 13, the at least one computerprocessor being further configured to perform the following: enablingthe user to select a plurality of native format presentation files to bedownloaded to the portable computing device.
 17. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 13, the at least one computerprocessor being further configured to perform the following: receiving,from a user, an instruction to share one or more of the plurality ofpresentation files stored on the server; and causing the server totransmit an email message including the one or more presentation file toa recipient as if the email message originates from the user.
 18. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 13, the at least one computerprocessor being further configured to perform the following: causing theserver to recompile the uploaded thumbnail format file into a nativeformat presentation file.
 19. The computer-implemented apparatus ofclaim 18, further comprising: including at least one instruction withthe uploaded thumbnail format file to cause additional content to beembedded in the recompiled native format presentation file.
 20. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 19, wherein the additionalcontent is selected from a group consisting of: an audio clip; a videoclip; an image; an animation sequence; a graph or chart; and a link. 21.The computer-implemented apparatus of claim 19, wherein at least aportion of the additional content is of a dynamic type.
 22. Thecomputer-implemented apparatus of claim 18, wherein one or more edits inthe uploaded thumbnail format file are indicated by coordinatesidentifying an intended placement of the one or more edits in therecompiled native format presentation file.
 23. The computer-implementedapparatus of claim 18, wherein the uploaded thumbnail format fileincludes or is accompanied by one or more variable fields whose valuesare used to populate the recompiled native format presentation file. 24.A non-transitory computer readable medium containing computer readablecode for processing presentation materials, the computer readable codebeing configured to cause at least one processor to perform thefollowing: communicating with a server storing a plurality ofpresentation files in a native format; requesting, from the server, atleast one of the plurality of presentation files; downloading, to aportable computing device, at least one thumbnail format file convertedfrom the requested at least one of the plurality of presentation files;storing said received thumbnail format file on the portable computingdevice; displaying and modifying, on the portable computing device, saidreceived thumbnail format file as a thumbnail format file; anduploading, to the server, a modified version of said received thumbnailformat file or a new thumbnail format file.